Worldwide expeditions led by Bob Vrijenhoek and his colleagues have resulted in the discovery of many new species of deep-sea crabs, clams, mussels, snails, tubeworms and bacteria. Understanding the evolutionary relationships among deep-sea species and placing them in the tree-of-life has been a major goal of research efforts.
Sampling and identifying marine zooplankton (SIMZ) is a project aimed at advancing our understanding of plankton ecology. SIMZ uses autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to collect samples of zooplankton and molecular genetic techniques to assess their diversity and abundance.
In 2002, MBARI scientists first observed two very odd species of worms living on the bones of a gray whale. Their trunks and brilliant red plumes produced a flowing “shag” carpets that covered many of the bones. The genus Osedax (Latin for bone eater) was formally described in 2004.
Analyses of DNA sequences from nuclear and mitochondrial genes have allowed us to reconstruct the recent demographic history of species. Rates of gene flow, geographical patterns of differentiation, and interspecific hybridization have been documented now for a number of deep-sea animals that live at vents and seeps.
Research programs at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) encompass the entire ocean, from the surface waters to the deep seafloor, and from the coastal zone to the open sea. The need to understand the ocean in all its complexity and variability drives MBARI's research and development efforts.
